You can't just cut him without accelerating the bonus money against the cap. The bonus money is prorated over the life of the contract. If you cut him with 2 years left, it gets accelerated. I don't know the details but people who think it's just his salary understand even less than I do about the cap.

Actually, I was thinking this plays out with Sanchez being given an ultimatum from Tanny.

Take a paycut or face your immediate release.

That's the same ultimatum they gave Chad Pennington back in 2006 and I believe it applies here.

First of all, NO ONE in the league is going to ever pay Sanchez the kind of money he's making right now. So assuming he opts to get cut, he'd get the guaranteed portion of his contract with the Jets, but he would lose some pay and would never be able to recover it with another team.

Second of all, if he opts to refuse a paycut, every personnel guy in the league would never give him another contract because they know he's a greedy and selfish player.

Third of all, if he opts to accept a paycut, he can stay here and compete in a straight up QB competition. This way he's still employed and has the possibility, if he hits on all of his incentives, to regain a good portion of what he lost in his contract right now.

Now don't get me wrong, I have no hope for Sanchez now. I think he's done in NY. But given his contract situation, I don't believe the Jets can outright release him right now. So him accepting a paycut is what would be best for both parties. Sanchez gets to stay in NY and the Jets free up serious cap space to go after much needed talent for the team.

The Jets have no leverage to offer Mark an ultimatum. The implications for simply cutting him are too detrimental to the Jets next year. There is no reason for Mark to take less money.

The Jets have no leverage to offer Mark an ultimatum. The implications for simply cutting him are too detrimental to the Jets next year. There is no reason for Mark to take less money.

Exactly right.

Let's say the Jets cut him, the Jets take a huge cap hit, Mark keeps his bonus money, and is a free agent.

Let's assume the Jets keep him and bench him. They pay the entire salary for a bench player and if they cut him the next year, they still have a cap hit due to the bonus. All they do is spread the cap hit over a couple of years but end up paying even more.

So what's the Jets leverage? They tell him they'll bench him? They wouldn't want to renegotiate his contract unless they wanted to get away from Mark so why would Mark agree to play ball?

The Jets are in a tough spot. Unless some team, high on Crystal Meth, comes in and offers Mark a better deal, the Jets are going to either have to live with him or live with the huge cap hit.